Comprehension
by Ryden Purrson
Summary: What if Ukitake and Jushiro hadn't tried to destroy the Sokyoku? How would this change things in the bleach universe? Pairing: Ichigo x Yoruichi. WARNING: Powerful Ichigo.
1. Light

**A/N: This is just a last minute short story I'm putting together quickly. I'll probably do this sometimes, even if it is only to have something else to do other than work on some larger story that will get old if I work on it too much, too fast. Hope you like! And if you don't, I'd appreciate you telling me why, from pairing, to plot, anything! Flamers are also welcome, I get more reviews, which means more visits, which means I make more stories! So flame me, I honestly don't care (Not to mention that I usually only read legitimate criticism in reviews...).**

**Disclaimer: Err... I don't own? Well – actually I own my small, petty, insignificant thoughts... But that's all!**

* * *

-==_Light_==-

(Sokyoku Hill – Rukia's execution)

"Kiko-oh." announced Head Captain Yamamoto to all the other captains and vice-captains present as the semi-sentient looking flames burst from the Sokyoku and took on the form of a massive phoenix. The flaming bestial form was facing a small girl that was dressed in bland white robes sporting a defeated look on her face. Like the phoenix, the girl too was hovering in the middle of the air, supported by a triplet of white blocks that held her steadily in front of the flaming bird. Yamamoto continued his miniature speech, "The spearhead of the Sokyoku has taken on its true form as the officiating executioner to render the ultimate punishment. The execution will be over when the prisoner's body is pierced by it."

Some of those present looked down at the ground of the hill the Captains and Vice-captains were all gathered atop, mostly to give their condolences to the small shinigami girl, which they had realize was being dealt an unjust punishment for her "crime". The only such not doing so, would be Captains Soifon, Byakuya, and Yamamoto, with some of the vice captains looking on in barely constrained wonder and astonishment.

The tiny shinigami girl, Rukia, looked at the magnificent construct of flames with no regrets and courage fueled by ignorance. The phoenix opened its eyes, and Rukia closed hers in wait for the seemingly inevitable. With one mighty roar, the flame construct surged forward, dead aligned in a path to disintegrate Rukia. The phoenix was fifty meters away.

Forty-six meters...

Thirty-nine meters..

Thirty meters.

Seventeen meters;

Ten meters–

_Impact_

_..._

All of the gathered vice and full fledged captains watched, as out of seemingly nowhere the flaming orange hair topped Ryoka appeared before the massive Phoenix and had stopped it effortlessly with only his massive body-length zanpakuto, held by a single hand.

And if the captain's view of the bickering between the detained and rescuer was anything to go by, it was safe to guess that the Ryoka boy had probably entirely forgotten about the ever pressing halberd pulsing its flames in defiance of the giant cleaver-like obstacle between it and its target.

Even after the gigantic bird backed up and soared once more for another attack on the duo, the Ryoka boy had held it off. Ichigo, as he was called by most, valiantly held it off. However, in a seemingly cruel joke that could have only been set up as a joke by a sort of omniscient being: Ichigo's sword was slightly off, and the far more massive flame-coated halberd hit the body length meat cutter in a diagonal thrust. Which caused all the power behind it to be deflected... right at Rukia's left side.

Rukia's left side would have been scorched, and the entirety of her dead. If not for one of the most stupid actions a person could ever commit in this situation occurring.

Ichigo grasped the head of the Sokyoku with his remaining left hand. Which was then followed by Ichigo dropping Zangetsu to the ground below to make room for his second hand at the head.

Suffice to say; saying the captains were shell shocked would be the understatement of the millennium, possibly ever. Even those who were previously looking down in mourning all looked up once they heard the clash of the first hit. They all had their mouths open, from Head Captain to Vice-captain, as they watched a shinigami of a few mere months take on the Sokyoku in its released state, which is said to hold the power of thousands of zanpakuto, with his bare hands. And was **winning**.

Ichigo was sweating under the pure power that this unmanned weapon was putting out in its vain attempt to slay him and the small female behind him, who was still yelling at him, like the numerous thousands of people that had been in their positions before.

Then, everything went to hell.

A brilliant golden light in the shape of a large column that went from the base of the Sokyoku hill to the skies above burst forth from the Sokyoku's shape and encompassed itself and Ichigo for the briefest of moments. But what appeared after the light died off was something none of the present peanut gallery had ever anticipated.

* * *

(Unknown location – Right after flash)

Ichigo was annoyed. He came all the way to the afterlife to save this stupid suicidal girl, putting all of his friends lives on the line, fighting through some of the toughest people in the world... after world? Something like that. He gains power that only a select few in all of history, all of forever have ever been able to achieve! And yet, he seems to have just died by a random flash of light from that stupid bird, right as he was about to save that pesky small shinigami. Why was his life so complicated?

Everything was pitch black, he could see nothing, he could feel nothing, hear nothing, smell nothing, there was simply _nothing._ Ichigo also found out shortly after that revelation, that he couldn't move.

Ichigo all of a sudden hears tapping, it sounded like walking. But people don't usually walk that slow, or were they walking fast? He couldn't tell, maybe it's a dying thing? Being all discombobulated. He tries to speak, but finds that even that is not possible, maybe this was his judgment for where he goes in his after-after life. Ichigo sighed. Facing judgment right after endangering your loved ones, abandoning your family, lying to those friends who couldn't help you, and injuring many innocent people that help deceased souls find their places in death – all to save a stupid girl for some partial honor is not a proper time for these sorts of things...

Ichigo then heard a distinctly feminine chuckle, followed by a laugh of the same origin.

"You are not dead yet, Ichigo. Actually, you have just begun to live life, well... afterlife is the proper term for this situation." Stated the female voice.

Ichigo found that he still couldn't even open his mouth, it was quite unnerving.

"I'm sorry about all this, but you seem to be the only chance I have to finally escape this contraption." The voice continued on, probably realizing his struggling. "Here, this should help you. But I suppose this is what happens when you barge in on things that you probably shouldn't be, not that I'm complaining though."

Ichigo found that he could move, and abruptly stood up and reached for his "man-cleaver" only to remember that he had to drop it to grab the flaming eagle, bird, avian, thing. Ichigo just brought his fist up into his natural fighting position in some sort of attempt to protect himself from whatever may come. "Who are you? Where am I? Why are you doing this? And could you turn the lights on?"

Ichigo heard a very boisterous laugh coming from a direction, but he was too busy waiting for some sort of explanation as to why she was laughing rather than throwing a fist in that direction. "Hehehe... just open your eyes, Ichigo." The voice then continued to chuckle.

Ichigo opened his eyes. And was suddenly very aware of how stupid he must have seemed. The sky was a strange purple-pink color with a few stray pitch-black clouds. Around him was a sky blue lake, and vivid green grass while he himself was standing near the edge of a cliff, that had no bottom and nothing beyond where it cut off. The dark red/black sun finished off the scene, making everything seem very... off.

Did he mention the giant flaming bird that was in the sky with an odd woman on top? No? Well there ya' go. Very off indeed. He was still wondering why he couldn't feel the heat from the bird a few moments ago, but he put that to the back of his mind for the time being. What was really odd to him though, was how he thought that he'd seen that bird somewhere before. He would like to think that he would remember a giant, flying, flaming bird.

"It seems you need to be reacquainted with Kiko-oh." The woman on the back of the bird said, grinning the whole way through.

"Reaqu-? Oh! That's that annoying pest that kept pecking at my sword earlier!" Ichigo yelled, now pointing his right hand's index finger at said phoenix in a very dramatic manner.

The girl growled and jumped off the back of the phoenix, landing right in front of him. She then pushed him a whole five feet back with one arm where he then managed to trip and lose his balance, falling flat onto his back. "Don't you ever dare speak of Kiko-oh like that!"

Ichigo sat up and crossed him legs. He then looked at the strange girl, now fully getting a picture of her. She looked to be about two or three years older than him, with fair milky skin and straight fiery red hair that went a bit past her shoulders. She was wearing a form fitting outfit that consisted of tight fit jeans and a thin white T-shirt that had a picture of a gigantic phoenix on the front. But the most prominent feature Ichigo could notice where her eyes, they were a shade of pink he'd never seen before, it was darker and screamed power and knowledge beyond his understanding... yet they seemed familiar to him. But she looked a lot like a very casually dressed human, nothing overly odd about her.

"Look. Could you please just tell me who you are and how or why I'm here? I have to get back and hopefully save what remains of my friends in the Soul Society."

"Well, I guess I should start off with my name. But I doubt you could understand my name. So I'll just tell you how you are here. Well to state it bluntly, I brought you here, to your mind so we could have a nice conversation." The girl looked a but antsy for some reason, maybe to get out of his mind. But wait.

"How is this my mind? My mind is all sideways with skyscrapers and buildings everywhere. And why wont you tell me your name? What am I suppose to call you if not by your name." Ichigo said, now looking around the area, thinking of how strange this new place is.

"Ichigo, did you honestly think that you would have only that small portion of your mind here? Even I have to admit that the human brain is too complex for such simple and narrow minded things as only having one layout. Even I cannot fathom how complex the brain is, let alone enough to understand its interior workings, Ichigo." She finished. But then remembered his final question, "Well, you won't be able to hear my name anyways but I suppose there is no harm in trying for a baseline. My name is... Hiiro no Tenshi."

"Hiiro no Tenchi? Bloody Angel. Sounds like a nick name for a serial killer. Who are you, exactly?" Ichigo asked. He then looked up, only to see a rather funny looking girl, with her eyes wide open and mouth hanging open.

"Yo-you. You heard me?! You heard my name! All of it!" She shouted out loud in both shock and glee.

"Of course I did, why wouldn't I hear you?"

"Ichigo, I'm a zanpakuto. Not just any zanpakuto, but the most powerful zanpakuto ever created, the first ever zanpakuto created. I'm what those out in Soul Society call the Sokyoku." Hiiro no Tenshi stated with each and every word soaked in as much pride as she could muster up. But it looked funny with her speaking like that while her eyes and mouth were still partially open in an obvious state of shock. "And no body has ever even heard my name before, let alone heard the full thing on the first time!"

Ichigo now was in the middle of an epiphany. The bird that emitted the light brought him and Hiiro no Tenshi to his mind. Hiiro no Tenshi is a zanpakuto. Zangetsu is nowhere to be found in his mind. Hiiro no Tenshi is supposedly stronger than Zangestsu. And he still has the most powerful zanpakuto ever in his mind. And if Zangetsu was his zanpakuto, and Zangetsu is suppose to be his only zanpakuto. And he has never seen a shinigami with two zanpakuto before, but he... then... then... "Wait. Where is the old man? Where is Zangetsu?"

"Zangetsu is a part of me, in a manner of speaking. I'd go with the specifics, but your limited knowledge of the spirit world lessens the severity of the situation for you, making it pointless." She said calmly, with a bland look on her face.

"Wa-wait just a minute, are you calling me stupid?" Ichigo said quickly, not really thinking about what she'd actually said. In his attempt to come out vicious in the "verbal brawl" he added, "We-well if zanpakuto are partnered with people who are compatible with them or whomever they feel is worthy of them, what does that say about you. Knowing that all of your wielders before have been too stupid to even understand your name!" Ichigo finished.

Hiiro no Tenshi growled menacingly at him. "You dare. Insult me!" She humphed, "Just goes to show how stupid you are." She said, trying not to be embarrassed at her childish response, however valid it may be.

Ichigo was about to go back on the counter attack, when he decided that he would probably get more done by humbling himself. "I'm sorry. But could you tell me, at least in layman's terms."

The red haired woman regained her composure and appearance. "I suppose. In essence, it is more like he's died and gone back to the realm of the zanpakutos until I relinquish my hold over his powers. Where he'll then choose a new partner to be with in the next fifteen to fifty years. But that doesn't matter now, what does matter is that since I control his powers, you can still use his bankai. But not his shikai, it's simply too large for you to control effectively and would only be a hindrance to you." She then rubbed her nose in a way that could almost be described as cute to Ichigo.

In the middle of her explanations, he thought in a random moment of thought that it felt very strange seeing a zanpakuto act and look so human. Ichigo had only ever seen Zangetsu's form before and he'd always acted so well composed. But he definitely liked her as a zanpakuto better, he decided that she would be a much better partner to work with.

"Thank you for the endearment, but understand that this is your mind. If you don't think quiet enough, I can hear it as if you are talking to me. But anyways, I must teach you on how to control my own shikai later. But for now, I'm going to unleash a portion of my spiritual pressure on you, if all goes well, this should help prepare you for what is to come later."

Before Ichigo could ask questions like: What about my mind, wont it damage it? Or other useless questions he could think of. She'd unleashed pressure that had him on his stomache and in agony. He was unable to speak and barely able to breathe.

"Take slow breaths Ichigo, breathe in deeply and breathe out just the same. You must be able to withstand your own spiritual pressure, or you'll damage yourself. You will be weak and you will die to a pathetic shinigami like that Byakuya, a good for nothing shinigami that would kill his own flesh and blood to save something as temporary as an order in response to an interpretation of an unwritten law that nobody wants to listen to and is ordered from people that nobody ever really sees. Understand Ichigo, you will have a hard future ahead of you, and you need to start working hard to match up!"

Ichigo was breathing now. Heavily breathing, slowly and with hitches in them, but it was an improvement. Ichigo began to feel the pressure increase.

"Know this Ichigo, since that light was emitted, it has been less than a second in here. You can still save everyone, none of your friends have to die today. But you must work for it!"

Ichigo was already sweating profusely, he was under unbearable pressure. But he was fighting, he managed to get up from his laying down position and get on his hands and knees. He could feels his muscles straining, his bones creaking, but he was determined. Lives of those he cares for are on the line, lives of those who he trusts and vice-versa. Ichigo was now on his two feet, and wobbling on his legs.

Ichigo felt the pressure increase again, it was painful, his body was on fire, his breathing was ragged and shallow. But he persevered.

"Ichigo, I should tell you now that one of my many abilities allows you to use something known as instant regeneration. It takes a lot of spiritual energy, but I'm using mine currently, so you should be fine." It wasn't entirely a lie, but she wouldn't tell him of a strange phenomena she found in his mind until all this was settled down. "I just wanted to let you know that when we get out of your mind, this training will not be all for nothing. As this is your brain, your brain is making all of these injuries and strains real for you, meaning this is helping you outside."

Ichigo did his best to nod, but he found that it would be far easier to just think his affirmative with the hopes she would hear it.

"One last thing I would like to point out. This training is not for Zangetsu's bankai. It is for your sealed state. I said you would never use that shikai of yours again, and you are unable to go back to Zangetsu's sealed state, so I am combining my sealed state and Zangetsu's bankai. This is why you are doing this." She then decided to increase the pressure even further. "Now then, you shall be training yourself until you are near death and then some more. It has been a total of 0.263 seconds outside of here and you still have another 2.487 seconds left until we are done. Or in here, that would be another eight or nine hours of training and torture to go!" She smiled sinisterly.

'This is going to be hell' was the last thought that crossed Ichigo's mind before the pressure on him doubled and he dropped to a kneel.

* * *

(Back with the other captains)

1...

Everything was glowing in a brilliant light emitting from the phoenix's location, in a blink of an eye, Byakuya took Rukia and brought her over to the captains. Most everybody then had to close there eyes to avoid from going blind from the light that seemed to make the sun dim in envy.

2...

Pressure, extreme pressure was being emitted at an exponentially increasing rate, the light began to dim so some where able to open there eyes slightly. Those that could saw a sight they were sure they would never see again, Yamamoto was sweating under the spiritual pressure.

2.5..

The pressure was instantly stabilized at about captain level. Then it started fluctuating, it began to go from non-existent to three times an average captain's level. The light began to grow steadily dimmer, and yet they still couldn't see inside of the light.

2.75-

The light disappeared all together in an instant, and what remained shocked everyone present.

In the wake of the brilliant light was a changed Ichigo. Ichigo's orange hair now was a few shades darker than normal at the root and gradates to a few shades lighter near the tips, where they change to white. Ichigo's clothing was now much simpler, casual even. He wore a black sweat shirt and a maroon colored V-necked T-shirt under it. It was white at the bottom and black around the neck of the V. He was also wearing tan pants that didn't look like they were good for fighting in and a belt with a phoenix for the buckle. But what was really shocking was that he was wearing see through sun glasses, and from the captain's distance it appeared that Ichigo's eyes became a dark red that was so dark it was nearly black.

In the next moments, they began to notice some odd things. Such as the seemingly normal katana that was sheathed and attached to Ichigo's side in a belt buckle. The only strange things about it was the odd chain that was attached to the pommel, the strange swastika shape that formed the guard, and the fact that the sheath itself was blood red with a black engraving that said 'Ichigo' on both sides.

The captains realized it could be taken as a joke, some would have laughed if not for the tense situation.

Ichigo stared blankly at them, as if expecting something. And that's when they noticed it, the Sokyoku was gone! The captains then turned to Ichigo.

"Child, what have you done with the Sokyoku!" The Head Captain demanded, adding in his spiritual pressure in high hopes to increase his authority over the 'child'.

"Hmm... can't say I remember. Been a while since I've heard of something by that name before." Ichigo drawled, he then turned his head to the other captains, "What do you guys think. Care to help me remember?"

"You insolent Ryoka! I will teach you to belittle the greatest captains in all of Soul Society's history!" Shouted out Soifon as she began to draw out her zanpakuto.

Ichigo merely raised an eyebrow, "Wow, and here I thought that an apprentice of Yoruichi's would be a little bit more carefree, especially around another apprentice of the same master." Ichigo smirked at the enraged look that crossed Soifon's face.

In a lightning blitz of speed that only few of the crowd could follow, Soifon had her shikai out and at Ichigo's neck in a move that was meant to go for a kill shot. But in the very next instant, she was on the ground with Ichigo's hand wrapped firmly around her neck and her Shikai broken. Soifon passed out and Ichigo jumped back from the other captains before they reeled in their bearings.

The captains watched in shock, none of them were able to follow that speed. But what they were able to see was how effortlessly Ichigo took down the captain of the division known for their speed, accuracy, and close quarter combat and had defeated her in all of the division's specialties.

"Hmp. So, are we going to do this, or not?" Ichigo said as he began to draw his zanpakuto. But was stopped when a hand grasped his. He felt a toned body that was _definitely_ female, if the weight on his back had anything at all to say about it.

"Ichigo." The voice of a familiar were-cat spoke next to his ear, "What are you doing?" She practically hissed at him.

"Finishing this, I know what is going on now with Rukia and Unohara. So I need to keep Rukia within a group of powerful people and preferably on a battleground. And I needed a reason for them to attack me. Your student happened to be the best option for me. Besides, I figure you could just talk to her in the hospital or something when you don't have to risk your life, she'll be fine either way." Ichigo whispered back to her while staring down the captains who are also just figuring out the identity of the masked woman behind Ichigo. "But right now I need you to keep every last one of my friends away, my spiritual pressure is powerful enough to kill anyone that doesn't have a vice-captain's spiritual energy or higher. But if they stay off the top of this hill, they should be fine."

Ichigo felt her leave and her unique signature head down the hill, hopefully for his friends.

"Now... where were we." Ichigo recalled out, flaring his spiritual pressure out as a warning for vice-captains around. And judging from Omaeda, it was working better than intended. "Ahh, yes. Me kicking your asses."

And before anyone could respond, he unsheathed his sword, and instantly his spiritual pressure went through the roof.

* * *

**A/N: Not my best cliffy ever, but this was a last minute story idea that I wanted to get out. Now, this isn't going to be a long story, probably 3-5 chapter max (most likely 5).**

**Welp, cyo guys!**


	2. Revelations

**A/N: Well that was an interesting poll. The winner one by a 2:1 ratio, I found that astounding and mildly insulting at the same time, interesting what you reader do. But I never thought I'd make an OC before, so I'm not going to bother with it. Plus you guys saved me work, I decided to actually plan out a story arc and it turns out that Hiiro no Tenshi will get maybe one more scene in the rest of this fic. Anyways, romance will not ensue until the fourth/fifth chapter - the fact I even have the story listed as a 'romance' story is purely because I could. Enjoy.**

**NOTICE: The "**(2)**" is a spoiler note, do not skip to the end and read it unless you'd like to spoil the ending of this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Self explanatory. But to those who need me to do it for you: I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

(Some distance up the side of the Sokyoku Hill)

If one were to look carefully, they would see a person free falling down the side of the Sokyoku Hill at maximum velocity. If one were to look nearby the person's expected landing zone, they would find a group of teenagers that were rushing up the hill, and looking like they were worried about the mass of reiatsu coming from the top of the hill.

As the teenagers were about to start up the hill and figure out what was exuding that massive pressure all over Soul Society a massive collision with the ground right next the group attracted their attention.

"What in th-" The Quincy boy began to speak before a chocolate-skinned woman emerged from the dust cloud caused by the impact and stared at them all blanky.

"Stop, you can't go up and help Ichigo right now.

"Why not?" Was the question that plagued the teenager's minds, yet was quickly asked by the orange haired female of the group.

"He's in a fight for his and Rukia's lives right now, and you all would only hinder him as you are." The woman said with conviction. She knew that she couldn't allow them up the hill, at all costs, they would only die in the process. For now, she could simply give them basic answers as to what she knew about what was going on up there, as she hardly knew herself. But to them, this mission was as clear as a sunny day – save Rukia from an unjust fate, then get out as fast as possible. And though she told them what was going on up on the hill, granted, in the simplest way you could put it, it seemed as though they were still willing to run up to the top of the hill to help Ichigo, thinking he's just being stupid again... though that didn't actually seem too far from the truth either.

Of course the ever curious teenagers couldn't just trust a random 'stranger' that offered them helpful advice. Uryuu started off, "Why should we listen to you? We don't even know who you are. And according to your logic, we shouldn't go up this hill to help our friend save a person and accomplish the task that we all came here and risked our lives for in the first place when he is facing off against a reiatsu that probably belongs to the strongest captain or captains of the whole Soul Society. No, you would rather him face off against such power by himself, without support." Uryuu glared at the woman.

"I suppose I should just start with introductions. My name is Yoruichi Shihoin, and known as the fastest person currently existing in Soul Society history. I'm also the cat that traveled with you." She gave a brief pause to let that sink in. And she saw that they didn't really believe her, but she continued anyways, "And that power up on the top of the hill; If it's so strong, what good would it do for you all to go up there right now and risk your lives and most likely die. Orihime can't heal anyone in the middle of a battle, especially when there is only one person fighting, she also can't use her offensive powers effectively because of her personality. Chad's powers use up his life force and would only kill him to go up against these people in the end, especially since he has seen one of them before now and was defeated without the captain even having to unleash his Zanpakuto. And you should know why you can't participate, Uryuu." Yoruichi stated pointedly.

Chad and Orihime looked at Uryuu, trying to find something odd with him. But when Uryuu reply to Yoruichi's statement, they just decided to take it as fact and leave it.

"But, then what makes you think that Kurosaki-kun could take them on?" Orihime said with worry etched on her face.

"Just trust me that all will be revealed in the end, and you three will understand." Yoruichi said with mock-wisdom.

Uryuu's face scrunched up in a look of intrigue, "So you're supposedly the cat. The male cat. The one that..." He started narrowing his eyes further. Until his brows completely furrowed in concentration, "... the one that was so obsessed with its looks. The one that was best friends with an extremist like Kukaku. You also happened to know all of our names and abilities..." Uryuu looked into her eyes and went wide eyed at the similarities between the two forms, "Wait... You're a shinigami!"

Yoruichi sweatdropped.

"You know, most people would be more surprised that my cat form had a male voice and that I'm actually female, not that I've been a shinigami this whole time." She deadpanned.

Chad was about to ask his own question until the energy being released from the top of the hill caused the teenaged group to start feeling a hundred pounds heavier, Orihime looked like she was about to pass out. Yoruichi decided that it would be best to get away from the hill. "We have to leave. You won't be able to move very well once the fight actually starts breaking out." They all looked fearful at the conclusion that things would only get worse, they all began to make their way away from the hill.

Yoruichi couldn't help it and sighed. She knew this was going to be a pain once they got back to the world of the living. She was going to claw Urahara's face off when she got back.

* * *

(Top of Sokyoku Hill)

Ichigo stared at the five captains in front of him, entirely ignoring the lieutenants that were just about to join Omaeda, Soifon, Rukia, and Renji in the realm of unconsciousness.

Ichigo's eyes gained an ethereal look to them as they began to glow a brighter blue in the midst of his black coating of reiatsu, giving a sort of demonic look. With the small increase in reiatsu and the demonic visage, the remaining lieutenants passed out.

Ichigo noticed that the remaining captains where outputting their own reiatsu to counteract his own piling onto them. With Yamamoto's red reiatsu, Jushiro's and Byakuya's white reiatsu, Shunsui's pink reiatsu, and Unohana's light blue reiatsu all creating an effective dome that was keeping the brunt of th ryoka boy's reiatsu out so that Unohana could start healing the unconscious back to fighting capacity. As the captain's spiritual pressure kept rising, Ichigo realized what they were doing and pumped his spiritual pressure to the highest it could go in his current form, and tried focus the majority of it on the dome. As this was done, the dome began to leak spiritual pressure that drastically reduced the effectiveness of healing kido. It was enough to be a mild hindrance luckily.

"Now, now. Captain Soifon had her chance, she wasted it. She'll learn better next time, but for now I'd like to think that five top-class captains all against me would be fair enough odds for you all." Ichigo's eyes continued to grow brighter with the larger force of killing intent mixed with reiatsu focused on him from the other captains. And yet his face remained devoid of all emotion, despite how humorous or insulting that remark may have been to him.

"Young child, you have defiled the name of shinigami, the purpose of this establishment, and the customs of our forefathers for the final time. For this insult, you shall be punished. As Head Captain-"

"-I order your execution." Ichigo finished sharply as he began to surge a sum of his reiryoku into his blade and activated one of its more innate abilities, **Backfire**(1). His lips twisted a bit higher in a small show of mirth. Though it went almost unnoticed by the opposing party thanks to the considerable distance between the opponents.

From the eyes of the captain commander, he began to see an image of his death. Many times over, many flashes of images across his vision, each more gruesome than the last. He could feel the pain and the agony of each death, or each stab and thrust. And yet his far away look escaped the others who where just about to strike the ryoka who dared disrespect their commander. The head captain was well adverse in counteracting such illusionary techniques though and immediately began to fluctuate his reiryoku and reiatsu to disrupt the technique and the connection it may or may not have to it's user. He began to see normally again, but the imaginary pain was still there, and some images remained. 'A powerful technique.' The commander thought warily.

"Shunsui, Jushiro, Byakuya, you are all to attack the ryoka with all you deem necessary, you three will likely require the use of your bankai, even you both; Shunsui, Jushiro. It would seem he caught me in some sort of illusionary technique that uses an opponent's words against themselves, I'm afraid I cannot see very well or focus for the moment."

"Understood Sir/Head Captain." The three replied in harmony as they all readied their weapons, not taking any chances against a ryoka with a powerful enough illusion that it could leave a lasting effect on the head captain. The ryoka seemed to still be a largely unknown element with unknown abilities, even after Byakuya's firm assessment in saying that he was a below average shinigami that had no talent whatsoever in the shinigami arts with the exception of a small development in zanjutsu.

"Unohana, you will take the others to your division for healing, use the reiatsu filtering rooms to stop the intrusions to the process. Do not allow any of those being healed back here, even Captain Soifon, her recklessness and ill-minded ways in the face of open combat would only be a hindrance."

"Understood, sir." Unohana said, before gathering the unconscious and rushing them over to the fourth division and out of harm's way.

"Are you finally done?" Ichigo said blandly. "I would like to fight you four so I can finally get the hell out of this place."

"Yes, we will show no hesitation. You will die here, Kurosaki-san." The head commander said, slightly shocking the other captains, and even getting a raised eyebrow from Ichigo, who couldn't remember introducing his last name to them. Maybe Rukia might have been talking about him, disturbing thought. But he had more important things to do right now. Survival being the top priority.

"Chire, Senbonzakura (Scatter, Thousand Cherry Blossoms)"

"Nami kotogotoku waga tate to nare, ikazuchi kotogotoku waga yaiba to nare, Sogyo no Kotowari (Waves, become my shield, Lightning, become my blade, Law of the Twin Fish)"

"Hana kaze midarete, kashin naki, tenpu midarete, tenma warau, Katen Kyokotsu (Flower wind rage and Flower god roar, Heavenly wind rage and Heavenly demon sneer, Flower Heaven, Crazy Bone)"

Ichigo just smiled and muttered one thing as his reiatsu became but a minor nuisance to the three powered up captains. "Damn."

* * *

(Unknown location)

"That seems interesting. What should we do now captain?" A figure said.

"We shall continue as planned. We will retrieve the item and head back." (2)

"But what about the kid, he seems very strong."

"It may appear that way, but in actuality it is just the Hogyoku's desire to humor the boy that is doing this. My plans are flawless and impossible to comprehend by one such as you. Don't make the same mistake as yesterday."

"My mistake captain, I should have figured when you asked me to get you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that you actually wanted the peanut butter on it even though you were allergic. My mistake again, captain."(3)

"That's right, this is all according to plan... kukuku."

The other man just sighed, 'Yah, that's why you told me to just forget about the peanut butter and just give you the one I had already made. I really hate this bastard... I should probably take off these red contacts soon.'(4)

* * *

(Back at Sokyoku Hill)

"Damn." Ichigo sighed, sweat beading on his forehead from the energy being emitted by the three captains in front of him. 'To believe that the old man isn't even in this fight yet, and I'm already feeling like this was a horrible idea.'

'_Just trust in yourself Ichigo, make them pay penalty for their ignorance!' _He heard his Zanpakuto rant in his head.

He noticed that the three captain's reiatsu stabilized at their shikai level.

With a **shunpo** the three captains disappeared.

Ichigo blurred out of sight, meeting Shunsui's twin scimitars in the middle in a loud crash. Immediately after, Jushiro appeared behind Ichigo, Jushiro striking for Ichigo's neck. Ichigo ducked upon sensing a Zanpakuto's reiatsu signature rapidly closing in behind him. Ichigo made for a quick swipe with his Zanpakuto across Shunsui's chest, until Ichigo noticed a pink petal floating down.

Ichigo remembered seeing what Byakuya's shikai could do, Ichigo immediately used **shunpo** to get enough space in between him and his opponents, but he was quickly assaulted with a mass of flower petals. In a show of speed, Ichigo quickly used his increased speed to chop away all of the petals. However, Jushiro and Ukitake imidiately went back on the offensive, four blades mixed in a dance that Ichigo was centuries too young to understand. Ichigo blocked, parried, and dodged all he could, suffering nicks and cuts that were little more than skin deep.

Ichigo saw a brief relent in the duo's combination and used **shunpo** to secure a safe distance away.

"See, I told you that others could easily see that opening." Jushiro told Kyoraku with a semi-serious attitude, feeling that they massively overestimated the ryoka.

"You were right, I should've kept it up, but I'm not entirely known for my skills in zanjutsu. You'll have to forgive me for this another time." Kyoraku kept his eyes narrowed on Ichigo for the exchange, not trusting what skills Ichigo had shown so far.

"Che, you guys are," Ichigo paused to breathe his exhaustion "ruthless. But this is what I get for being the hero of the day. No thanks are necessary." Before they could retort, they felt a mass of reiatsu being focused by Ichigo, "**Getsuga Tensho**!"

A wave of pure black came upon them, Jushiro used **shunpo** to get in front of Byakuya and Shunsui and held his left Zanpakuto out. As the wave hit it, it disappeared. Immediately Shunsui put his right Zanpakuto out in front of him and a massive wave of black and blue energy was shot straight back at Ichigo.

Ichigo's eyes widened and used **shunpo** to dodge the energy blast. "What was..."

Ichigo slashed his zanpakuto in the air, sending out a smaller **Getsuga Tensho** toward Jushiro. Only for the same blast to come at him once more, slower and weaker than the one previously used against him. Ichigo dodged to the side with a burst of speed.

"So, you are able to reflect incoming attacks, and make them stronger and faster. What an annoying ability. I may just have too..." Ichigo said, pondering out loud.

"And why would we give you the chance to do anything more?" Byakuya said, sending out his petals to renew their assault on Ichigo.

Ichigo began slashing the air, but the captains noticed something strange, the blade was firing miniature blasts like the two he fired before. Byakuya noticed what he was doing and recalled his shikai before anymore of it was lost.

"Don't try the same tricks on me twice, I just might use them against you." Ichigo stated blandly as all four of them looked at Byakuya's Senbonzakura, or at least the little over half of it that was left.

"**Bushōgoma** (Lazy Spinning Top)"

Shunsui hastily slashed both his scimitar, causing a spiralling gale to shoot out at Ichigo. Ichigo attempted to shunpo out of the targetted path, but the gale was too fast and caught him. Winds whipped around Ichigo in the seemingly impenitrable wall of a tornado.

Ichigo knew that the other captains wouldn't hesitate to use this opportunity to regroup, he put his elbow back with his mock-unreleased state pointing out infront of him with both hands on the grip.

"**Sasu Y****ōna** **Tsuki Yari** (Piercing Moon Spear)"

A pitch black ray of violent reiatsu was emitted from the tip of his sword, cutting through the wall easily. Ichigo then dragged the direction of the 'spear' to go straight down, as to cut off the momentum of the ability. Ichigo then used shunpo to get out of the ability, only to come face to face with Jushiro, who fired what Ichigo could only assume was his ability at him. Ichigo barely dodged, his left arm slightly singed by the attack.

Shunsui came to attack again, they hacked and slashed each other, Ichigo parried and saw an opening for a clean hit. Ichigo's zanpakuto slashed Shunsui across his ribs.

But it hardly left a scratch.

Ichigo used shunpo once more to gain distance between his enemies, trying to analyze the situation.

"Close one, was afraid you were going to hurt me, but then I realized that the color was yellow, not white." Shunsui spoke with a smirk.

"I don't understand." Ichigo stated factually.

"You will." Said a voice behind Ichigo, he realized that Byakuya was missing from in front of him.

Ichigo threw his head down, narrowly missing the sword by a hair, and planted his foot in Byakuya's stomach, then turning using his left hand to strike a severe blow to the same spot on his stomach. Finishing it with Ichigo using his zanpakuto to cut a large wound on Byakuya's chest.

Turning around, Ichigo was met with four blades, all coming at a different point on him.

'_Use it_' Ichigo heard in his head.

"**Chi no Tsuki** (Blood Moon)"

A crimson sphere engulfed Ichigo, protecting him from the four strikes. Then the sphere exploded, sending the both of them back a few meters.

"Fun times end now, prepare for _my_ shikai." Ichigo stated darkly.

Shunsui and Jushiro were confused. But Jushiro decided to ask,"You weren't even in your shikai? I thought Byakuya said you were permanently in your shikai form."

Ichigo smiled.

"Saibankan, Hiiro no Tenshi (Judge, Bloody Angel)" Said Ichigo, slightly wincing from the laughter coming from inside his head.

* * *

(Yamamoto's point of view)

The Head Captain looked up, admiring the teamwork the captains had in battling the fierce ryoka, reminding him of his younger years, all those centuries ago when he too did battle alongside his comrades.

And yet the Captain Commander couldn't help but also give his praise to the ryoka boy who had lasted this long, hardly even in his sixteenth year of life. Yet the boy used strategies that he himself had taken years to use in battle as if they were second nature to the boy. Quite remarkable.

'Maybe I did overestimate the child though. Three captains, especially Jushiro and Shunsui, using their bankai against a single _child_, must be the after effect of the illusion.' And yet the Head Captain still couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling in the back of his head.

The Captain then started thinking of worst case scenarios that he had been dreading for hundreds of years prior to this day, 'No, that's impossible... it is impossible for him to have-'

"Saibankan, Hiiro no Tenshi (Judge, Bloody Angel)"

'No!' the commander shouted mentally then cried out, "That's impossible!"

All of the commander's hopes of it being a trick or an illusion were dashed as he felt the unlikely double up in spiritual pressure coming from the ryoka, Ichigo.

* * *

(Ichigo's point of view)

Ichigo immediately felt a strain on his body from all the reiatsu pouring out from him, a weight he was expecting, but not yet accustomed to. The strain on his body increased, and increased, until it had doubled from his previous form. He knew he then had to control all of his new reiryoku and reiatsu and force it all into a tiny space, then Hiiro no Tenshi would do the rest.

* * *

(Captain's point of view)

The captains watched in dreaded anxiety as the boy went into his shikai state. As the reiatsu increased, you could see the blade of his sword turn a shade of bloody crimson, the chain extruding from the pommel turned red and went back into the sword, through the pommel.

Then something shocking happened, all of the reiatsu pressing down upon them from the ryoka vanished. But as they continued watching, they immediately knew why. The boy was manifesting a _second zanpakuto_ by using his reiatsu and reiryoku to create reishi, a process thought impossible by all of soul society's scientists and researchers throughout the generations.

A second blade was formed, exactly like the first, from the crimson blade to the black pommel. Yet then, his reiatsu completely vanished! They could sense his reiryoku and reishi, but all pressure and outwardly wasted energy was gone. But the unknown question was quickly answered y the ignition of pitch black flames around both of his zanpakuto blades, yet strangely did not affect the blood crimson coloring of the blade from their perspective.

(Ichigo's point of view)

Ichigo watching in fascination at the twin blades in front of him, inspecting them for what might appear to be the first time to any other onlooker. But to Ichigo, he could never stop admiring the two blades for their raw beauty and concealed lethality.

Ichigo resumed a battle ready position as he stared down the four captains below him, now noticing that Byakuya's sword had almost fully recovered from his earlier mistake.

A mistake that Ichigo would not allow to be fixed.

"**Shinku Hanketsu** (Crimson Judgment)" said Ichigo, only loud enough for them to hear.

After the attack was called, Ichigo made a quick cut through the air, sending out a larger, more powerful, red version of his **getsuga tensho**. But if one looked on and watched the wave of energy flying rapidly at the captains below, then they would notice that the wave was also bathed in a black fire.

Ichigo knew the basics of how they would move to avoid the ability, Byakuya would try to gain more distance, Shunsui would appear a couple yards behind him, and Jushiro would absorb the arc and fire it at me to try and distract him (Ichigo).

So Ichigo used shunpo, instantly appearing behind Byakuya, no sound emitted at all, and cut through the air, aiming for the Kuchiki's zanpakuto.

Whhish. Clang.

* * *

(Byakuya's point of view)

Byakuya was looking around, and it was only through decades of experience that he noticed the small extra heat, the sound of cutting through the air, and, by use of his enhanced peripheral vision, seeing a sliver of the sword coming at him.

He decided to block it with his sword, knowing that there wasn't enough time to dodge, and with Ichigo having two swords, parrying would be suicide.

Yet as the two zanpakutos met, Byakuya noticed that Ichigo wasn't even making an attempt to use his second zanpakuto, simply leaving it in a loose grip in his left hand.

"You dare mock me, _boy_?" Snarled the Kuchiki, believing that this was a show of arrogance or mockery.

"No, I just wanted to see you block my sword, I'll leave now."

Byakuya felt a slight relent in the apposing blade, and used it to shirk the blade off and aim to slice down Ichigo. But Ichigo vanished, no sound or twitching involved in his shunpo. Worrisome.

Byakuya noticed that the heat still hadn't gone away and went on guard, that's when he noticed his blade.

"Wha-what is this?!" Cried out Byakuya in a rare moment of outwardly showing surprise.

* * *

(Shunsui point of view)

It's a traditional plan, maneuver, evade, divide, conquer. Simple. And yet I knew something would go awry from when we started this. A nagging feeling. To be that fast, to be so quick as to keep up with us with such a slower version of shunpo in only his unreleased state, then to go into your shikai state that condensed all of the excess 'flab' that has to come along with each shunpo should give a massive boost to the speed of it.

Jushiro fired on his return blast just as I got almost behind the ryoka, so he wouldn't escape. But to my utter shock, he's already gone!

Shunsui looked around, then noticed Ichigo swinging his zanpakuto, seemingly attempting to sever Byakuya's torso in half. Just when Shunsui was about to warn Byakuya of the danger, Byakuya whirled around and blocked the zanpakuto. Yet he and I noticed the same thing, Ichigo hadn't even bothered to use his second blade, then he even went so far as to say something as stupid as wanting to see Byakuya block his sword.

To my utter shock though, he saw the ryoka child faze out of existence, instantaneously, soundlessly.

But that's when both Byakuya and I noticed the flames on Byakuya's blade. _Black _flames. They were burning Byakuya's sword, seemingly melting the sword into reishi particles. Luckily though, it seemed that the flames weren't 'melting' the blade very quickly. It was highly concerning though when we noticed the flames weren't burning out, they weren't dying down, and no matter how much Byakuya jumped up and down on his sword to put out the flames, the flames didn't even bother spreading to his feet.

That's when Shunsui noticed another clang.

* * *

(Jushiro's point of view)

'I don't understand. Where could he have gone?' Jushiro was looking around, seemingly ignoring Byakuya and Shunsui in favor of looking around for the living shingami.

Only for a blade to appear right in front of him in the next second, barely giving Jushiro enough time to duck under the blade, just in time to remember he had two blades, causing him to jump high into the air, over Ichigo.

Jushiro turned around, only to grunt as he was forced to use both of his blades to block Ichigo's twin blades, making a loud clang. Ichigo backed off, being forced to now block another assault from Shunsui, who had used shunpo to appear behind Ichigo.

Jushiro looked at his zanpkuto and the burning flames, they didn't seem to be doing much, but they also didn't seem to be burning out. Something to figure out later.

Both the boy and Shunsui were locked in a dance of death, both swords flying in either which direction, neither cutting the other, the child constantly trying to block or make contact with Shunsui's blades, yet Shunsui kept narrowly avoiding it.

* * *

(Ichigo's point of view)

Clink.

"**Tsumibukai Bōkyaku **(Sinful Oblivion)"

Ichigo had tapped his sword on one of Shunsui's. A smirk crossed Ichigo's lips before calling out his zanpakuto's ability.

The black flames on all zanpakutos went into a raging flurry, covering all the opponent's blades that they were on in the black flames.

Ichigo used shunpo to get away from all the captains.

"What are you planning." Asked out Jushiro to Ichigo.

"A lot, but what I'm doing right now is making sure none of you can become bigger nuisances. Just know that those flames, will never come off unless I want them to. The flames will continuously eat away at any substance they come in contact with, albeit, very slowly. But in roughly seven hours, your entire zanpakuto will be gone. If I recall, it takes a few days to get your zanpakuto back from that state. Or was it longer? I forget."

"How are you able to do a perfectly soundless shunpo, that's suppose to be impossible." Questioned Shunsui, trying to buy time for the both of them to recover and look for an opportune moment to strike.

"I thought it would be obvious. All of my reiatsu that I would emit, is instead trapped in my zanpakutos, meaning that I have no reiatsu emission. With the end result of that being that I don't have to carry around all the extra weight on me that would usually create the sound of a shunpo."

"So your shikai is the perfect zanpakuto for the second division?"

"I have no idea who they are, nor do I care. But I do have other business to take care of here and a family that I miss a lot back home; so I'm going to finish this"

In the next instant, Ichigo was behind Jushiro, who had been cut through twice on his back. Jushiro went wide eyed at the astonishing speed, cursing himself for relaxing around an enemy as he felt down to the ground, unconscious.

"Do not worry for your friend captain-san, the flames will not spread past my blade unless I desire them to, and I did not lethally injure your comrade. I have no desire to kill anyone."

"That is no excuse for what you have done. It would seem I have no choice..." Shunsui said. "Bankai."

…

Nothing happened.

"What?" Shunsui said, shocked as he looked at the inferno raging on a single blade. "What is this, what did you do?"

"My flames also have the ability to seal and stop production of reiryoku when it completely covers the target. Just as it slowly deteriorates the reishi of the object. Nullifying a zanpakuto's ability to transform states, even going back to its sealed form. I have also been informed it has a few other tricks that can be used in certain situations. But I have no need for them as of now."

"You have a very dangerous zanpakuto there, ryoka-san. Normally if this was a practice match, or something less important, I would have just given up here. But that isn't an option here." Shunsui said, currently wondering why the ryoka kept talking if he was in such a rush and why he didn't use hat burst of speed from earlier to cut him down like Jushiro? 'Could he not have complete control of his released state yet? It's a possibility, especially considering that it was only minutes ago that he had gotten his new blade; but there is no time to test the theory.'

"Of course it is, you just don't want to see me kick the old man's ass. Or maybe you want a chance to avenge your friend?"

"I would be lying if I said I didn't want to hurt you for what you did, but I know that the faster we wrap this up, the quicker we can solve this and get help to Jushiro."

"A'right then, I'll make this quick."

Ichigo used shunpo to get behind Shunsui, who turned around the moment he saw Ichigo disappear. They began cutting and slashing at each other once more, Ichigo taking the brunt of the damage.

"Yellow" called out Shunsui.

Ichigo hit shunsui straight on the arm, yet it hardly left a cut. Ichigo's eyes widened as Shunsui didn't make a move to attack him back.

'I still can't hurt him. What is going on?'

"White" called out Shunsui.

Ichigo knew there was something different going on when Shunsui made a move to attack him only after he called out a color. Ichigo managed to dodge the captain's strike. Ichigo then recalled Shunsui's actions earlier when he said that he hit white, not yellow!

Ichigo used a fast shunpo and quickly stabbed Shunsui from behind, in a small white patch on his pink cloak. It cut Shunsui minimally, but it was deeper than the previous strike.

"So, you call out a color, and if I strike that color it hurts you more. But what do you have to gain from that. The more of it there is the more susceptible you are, maybe you trade it in for speed? damage? more abilities? Interesting thought." Ichigo thought aloud.

"Heh. You're close, but I can't give away all of my secrets yet."

Shunsui launched himself as fast as he could at Ichigo, slipping off his pink cloak, revealing his captain's haori in the process and slashed at Ichigo's chest.

Ichigo managed to slip to the side, giving him a gash on his left arm. Only to see blood spill out of the wound faster than he'd ever seen before, the pain was intenses and the sword felt like it cut deeper than it should have.

'Argg... it must increase the damage he can deal with his zanpakuto based on how much he's wearing, but that must also mean...'

Ichigo took a risk, he used all his strength and pushed back on Shunsui's blades, parried them slightly out of the way, then stabbed his sword in a non-lethal spot on his captain's haori.

The attack was likely a bit excessive; blood spilled from the wound as his blade cut through Shunsui like a hot knife through butter.

"Ughk, gahk" coughed Shunsui as he fell over onto the ground, loosing consciousness rapidly as his blades fell from is hands. And a few moments later, Shunsui was out cold.

Ichigo turned around, facing Byakuya. Watching as the last of his blade disappeared in small black wisps and the flames died out.

Byakuya just looked at Ichigo, studying him, "You told us that our zanpakutos would disappear after seven hours, yet mine barely lasted ten minutes and didn't spread past the guard. Why?"

"I needed time; my body, my shikai, my abilities, they all need a lot more training, far more than the three seconds of training I was given to just properly understand what I can do. And those flames consumed your zanpakuto faster the others because it was already damaged from our previous fight in its shikai state. When it reverted back to its weaker unreleased state and I burned it, it was too weak to fight back as compared to the other two's released zanpakutos. I apologize for the trouble, but even I realized that I couldn't take on all three of you at once, so I needed someone to sit out."

"Okay." Byakuya stated blandly, "For all it's worth, I will wish you luck in your fight against the head captain. If only for the reason that I know you cannot hope to win against him." Byakuya stated as he walked off the hill in a noble manner.

'What a guy.' Ichigo deadpanned.

* * *

(Yamamoto's point of view)

'So. It is she then.' Yamamoto thought as he watched Jushiro get cut down.

The head captain continued watching the fights, watching two of his students be cut down and Byakuya's realization that he had no chance of standing a chance in the fight.

Yamamoto could almost feel saddened by staying out of the fight, but he knew that this would have to be a one on one fight between the two of them. A battle that had been centuries in the making.

* * *

(Omnipotent point of view)

"So. Kurosaki-san. You possess the almighty executioner's blade, commissioned by the Shinigami King himself from the lowest, darkest pits of hell itself to become a zanpakuto for only the most powerful of soul society to wield."

"Yes, the same blade that you had sealed into a weapon for the sole purpose of using it as a weapon to execute those who had done wrongs. Even the soul king had never desired this, he wanted this weapon to be wielded by the worthy, a person that only she could choose."

"That puts too much power into a single being, an imperfect being. No matter who she would choose, they would become overcome by the raw energy they would possess, they would be corrupted by its absolute power. Look at you, you have less two-thirds of her power for just her shikai state and not even three seconds after you got it you've attacked most of soul society's strongest and most brilliant!"

"That is true, but I felt that it was necessary – she felt that it was necessary - we both still believe that it was necessary even now, if only to get to you. We are the judges and we are the executioners, the only hope our target has to survive is if the jury can stop us. And as you can see" Ichigo waves his blade and arm through the air in a purposeful manner that identified the two unconscious captains lying on the ground, "There is no jury that can stop me."

"Which is the reason why we kept this blade sealed!"

"But that is no longer an option, it is no longer your choice" Ichigo then uses his advanced shunpo to appear directly in front of the Head Captain causing his eyes to widen at Ichigo's speed, "This power she has given you. It is not yours; it has never been yours; nor shall it ever be yours ever again."

Ichigo let his left hand's sword dissipate back into his reiatsu and grabbed Yamamoto's blade. The moment his hand touched the blade, the captain's blade ignited in its shikai flames. Ichigo could feel the captain trying to get the blade out of Ichigo's hand, but Ichigo kept a firm hold. Relinquishing his right hand's blade into his reiryoku and reiatsu, then grabbing the captain's blade with that hand.

The head captain's blade ignited in black flames, which were then drawn to Ichigo's hands. Yamamoto screaming bloody murder the whole time, yet couldn't release his hands from the sword, nor move an inch other than mouthing off the ryoka.

"**Hado no Yon: Byakurai!** (Destructive Art Four: Pale Lightning)" hollered out Yamamoto as he pointed his left hand's index finger at ichigo's heart, knowing that his reiatsu was depleting at a rapid pace, allowing him enough control for a basic kido.

To Ichigo's credit, he didn't even flinch. The kido erupted from the head captain's index finger at the speed of light. Ichigo twisted enough so it didn't hit him in the heart, but it left a large wound in the area, something he couldn't allow to happen again if he wanted to live past this day.

After the blacked flames from Yamamoto's zanpakuto had all condensed into Ichigo, Ichigo let go of the blade. Now feeling stronger, more complete than ever. A little voice in his head told him that she also thought the same.

'_I am not little!_'

"So, Yamamoto. Will you give up. Or will you fight with your actual zanpakuto?"

"I am the strongest shinigami born in over one-thousand years, you think that you could ever hope to match me in one-on-one battle?"

"You were certainly the strongest shinigami born in over one-thousand years, but you are not as strong as you have been in the past. You use to have talent and power, but your old zanpakuto has deserted you the moment you gave him up for the power you stole unjustifiably from _my_ zanpakuto. If you think you could hope to match me, then you should try now. But know that no matter the outcome, we shall never cross blades again, and you shall be swallowed up by the pits of hell to be sent to the domain in which you belong, the very place where this sword came from."

Yamamoto's only response; "Bankai, Zanka no Tanchi"

…

"It seems you hadn't been listening, the power of your bankai was illegitimately received due to the power you obtained, your powers of bankai have been revoked... I bet you don't even remember your old release command for your real zanpakuto."

Yamamoto growled low in his throat, understanding that his shikai would be unusable as well.

"Your days as head captain are over, Yamamoto. Your corruption shall end. And with you, the dark ages of shinigami history will end, never to be seen nor experienced again. Goodbye."

"Sokatsu!" Yamamoto sped up to Ichigo, and thrust two of his fists forward to annihilate him.

A wall of black flames intercepted him, causing his limbs to go ablaze with black flames. Yet through experience and battle-hardening, he soldiered threw the flames.

Ichigo was not on the other side.

"**Kazari-ra ****H****anketsu: ****Eien ni**** N****o****rowa R****eta**** no ****H****ai **(Emblazoned Judgment: Ashes of the Forever Damned)"

The flames tat now enveloped around Yamamoto grew pitch black, to the point when you could no longer see the body inside. Ichigo closed his eyes, not wanting to see what would happen next.

* * *

(Yamamoto's point of view)

Darkness. Black darkness. Pain and suffering. That was all there was, but he kept silent, knowing that his opponent would revel in his screams (5). But the pain was so intense, he felt himself shifting, he felt light reach his eyes, realizing that the flames were dying out.

'What, these flames do not die out, how is this possible?'

Yamamoto looked up, only to see a terror he hoped to never live.

He called out for help. He screamed. He cried out in anguish from the vacuum that sucked in even the flames that could never be extinguished by any but their master/mistress.

* * *

(Ichigo's point of view)

Ichigo heard screaming, but kept his eyes shut, he kept thinking of how this would help soul society in the end, how the pluses would finally live in happiness and out of poverty and crime. How people in central fourty-six would no longer be picked on who gave Yamamoto more money. How people would no longer live in fear of Yamamoto or be force fed lies of who he is or what he's done. It was all for the better.

Ichigo heard the screams stop and opened his eyes. Just in time to see the gate to hell vanish from sight.

Ichigo looked across the battlefield and commanded his flames to disperse. He used shunpo to go over to Shunsui and grabbed him, then walked over to Jushiro and grabbed him. Both being tossed semi-lazily over his shoulders. Allowing Ichigo to shunpo away to where he hoped the fourth division was so these two could get healed.

* * *

(One Minute Later)

Ichigo remembered where the fourth division was, and dropped them off by captain Unohana, who was asking a lot of questions about what happened, why he was dropping them off, why he was helping, etc.

Ichigo ignored her and looked for a signature, unfortunately, that signature was by herself. But luckily, she was by herself and nearby.

Ichigo shunpo-ed off to the room. Rukia was laying down unconscious. Things appeared to be okay, Aizen didn't seem to have taken the hokyoku.

"Where do you think you are going?"

Ichigo whirled around to find Captain Unohana behind him.

"Yes the girl is fine, she arrived here later than I would have liked, but we managed to get that hole in her chest fixed up. Now would you mi-"

"_Hole_ in her chest?"

"Yes, the explosion seemed to have injured her, I managed to get it healed up here fairly quick, it was a mir– Hey! You have to answer my question! What happened to the head captain!"

Ichigo didn't answer. Instead using shunpo to go over to where he sensed a small gathering of captain class shinigami.

Retsu just sighed. She'd just go back to healing all the patients, she knew that the head captain was gone or dead due to her skills in reiatsu sensing. And yet she knew that the ryoka meant no harm. It was troubling how the boy just made everyone feel at ease and off guard, too troubling.

* * *

"So. What would a seemingly dead captain be doing here, in the middle of a deserted area behind Sokyoku Hill with a forbidden secret artifact accompanied by two captains that are supposedly loyal to Soul Society?"

* * *

**(1) In reference to Ichigo's ability, Backfire: Ichigo spikes his reiatsu and focuses it on a target after they say something to you. The illusion focuses on what they said and transforms it into horrible experiences from the worst the living and after world has ever seen. The illusion is more powerful the more it has to do with what they were saying. The technique doesn't require you to say anything, but it does make the mind more open, allowing the ideas to roam easier and the experiences to take a firmer hold. It likely won't be used every again, but I wanted to give Ichigo some sort of basic illusion.**

**(3) In reference to the small weird scene: I had to put in how insane I find Aizen's "flawless planning." **

**(4) In reference to the red contact lenses Gin was talking about: Some people forget how during the beginning of the anime, we see Gin's eyes as Red, and at the end of the anime and during an Omake episode, they are blue. I felt I had to address this.**

**(5) In reference to Yamamoto thinking that Ichigo would "revel" in him screaming: I bashed Yamamoto a lot in this chapter (in my head), and it fit the way I was making him in this story; to be paranoid and think that all his opponents are pure evil and insane.**

**(2) In reference to Aizen saying that he'll "continue as planned" to take the "item and come back": Yes, I fooled maybe 50-75% of you into thinking that I would have him wait until later to take it by saying he'll continue as planned (remember the scene where he said that his plans were flawless? That everything goes according to plan? I totally used that to screw with the original plot!).**

**A/N2: And yes, the pairing (Ichigo/Yoruichi) will not be changing now and there's nothing you can do that could convince me! Bwahahaha! (Power hungriness is too strong!) And I've decided to go the full five chapter arc. Note that it will be left open ended. I might do a sequel, I might let someone take over the story and try their hand at it and put their own spin on the idea. I might do both for the hell of it. But this story will be five chapters.**

**Cyo guys next time!**


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